HP tx2000 Tablet PC Review

HP has finally updated the tx1000. Welcome the tx2000 Tablet PC. It has the same design as its predecessor, but now has an active digitizer and touchscreen. I have to say I am quite impressed with this 12.1-inch tablet. The entertainment features make this tablet a real head turner, especially when you consider the starting price. We received a pre-production unit for our review and it’s still near perfect.

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HP tx2000 Tablet PC specs:

AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core processor TL-66 2.3GHz

Up to 4GB DDR2 RAM (review unit had 2GB)

Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 graphics

Hard drive options of 120GB, 160GB or 250GB (review unit had 160GB)

12.1″ WXGA touchscreen display with built in digitizer (1280×800 resolution)

LightScribe Super Multi or Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW

Windows Vista Home, Business or Ultimate OS

Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet

802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth

ExpressCard Slot

3 x USB ports

2 x headphone out and one microphone-in

VGA-15 pin

TV-Out S-video

RJ-11 and RJ-45

Notebook Expansion port 3

2 x Consumer IR

Battery: 4-cell or 6-cell Lithium-Ion

Weight: 4.3 pounds with weight saver and 4-cell battery

Dimensions: 8.82″(L) x 12.05″(W) x 1.23″(H)

Design and Build

The tx2000 has a high-gloss HP exclusive Echo finish. Unlike its predecessor the lid is glossy black and has the Echo pattern, which also extends inside to the silver keyboard. Very sleek design, but it does get full of fingerprints. The overall design and chassis are still the same.

The tx2000 feels solid and weighs in around 4.3 pounds, but it still has the same plastic housing which shows some signs of flex. It gets a little heavy to carry around in tablet mode, but it does come packed full of features and you can always substitute the weight saver in place of the optical drive.

Lid of the tx2000 with Echo imprint. (view large image)

Students and professionals everywhere are rejoicing to this news. The updated tx2000 Entertainment Tablet PC has a touchscreen and active digitizer, which means now you don’t have to use just your finger to navigate because there is a pen for taking notes or drawing. The pen is accurate and responsive as well. It still comes packed with a remote (my unit was lacking one though) and the Altec Lansing speakers, so watching movies or listening to music is great, just like a true notebook.

Display

The 12.1″ WXGA display is kind of grainy, but this is very common with tablets. It is glossy and reflective, but nothing major if you like the high-gloss screens. The screen is hard to read in the sunlight, not that I have seen much sun though here in the cold Midwest. The viewing angles are fine and now that it has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, it’s a real tablet.

The tx2000 in tablet mode with pen. (view large image)

The screen automatically changes orientation when rotated into tablet mode and the small hinge is surprisingly sturdy. The pen feels nice as well and I prefer it when navigating over my finger because it is more accurate. At the highest setting the screen is bright and the colors are bold, but you can’t tell what you are setting it too because there isn’t an on-screen indication for brightness levels.

Performance and Benchmark

The tx2000 now has that needed bump of power with its AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core processor. Browsing the Web and uploading pictures was an easy task. The Nvidia Go 6150 graphics will be a disappointment to some, but still work fine, just no hard-core gaming. There are no signs of lag when browsing the Web, checking email or editing photos. This tablet was in need of a refresh and I can’t complain, especially for the price.

Comparison Results for PCMark05

PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole. As you can see the tx2000 is on top of the competition.

In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits:

Notebook

Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits

HP tx2000 (2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2)

1m 33s

Fujitsu LifeBook U810 (800MHz Intel A110)

6m 22s

Fujitsu T2010 (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo)

1m 40s

Gateway C-140x (2GHz Core 2 Duo)

58s

HP Compaq 2710p (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo)

1m 39s

Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (1.6GHz Core 2 Duo)

1m 10s

Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo)

54s

Gateway E-155C (1.06GHz ULV Core 2 Duo)

1m 58s

LG C1 (1.2GHz Intel Core Duo)

1m 49s

Toshiba R400 (1.2GHz ULV Core Duo)

2m 10s

Asus R1F (1.66GHz Core Duo)

1m 20s

Lenovo ThinkPad X60t (1.66GHz LV Core Duo)

1m 24s

IBM ThinkPad X41t (1.5GHz LV Pentium M)

2m 02s

HP TC4400 Tablet PC (2.0GHz Core Duo)

1m 13s

Dell Latitude D420 (1.06GHz Core Solo ULV)

2m 11s

HDTune Results

Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen

The Keyboard feels solid. The keys don’t flex too much and response time is good. HP is making the keyboards even better on the production models with improved accuracy and response. I also like the durable finish they have, which is good for preserving the keyboard from those greasy fingers.

The keyboard and touchpad. (view large image)

The touchpad is still the famous perforated design. I like this design very much because it doesn’t get worn down easily and is responsive. Your finger doesn’t slide off the touchpad because it is indented in the palm rest area, which makes navigating a breeze.

The pen is solid, but still your basic pen. It reads the screen when it’s about an inch above and then disables the touchscreen, this way your hand doesn’t interfere when writing. Some users rest their palm on the screen and since the tx2000 also has a touchscreen you might think this would cause a problem, but it doesn’t. The Wacom technology used is great, just remember you can’t keep picking the pen up or the touch feature will be activated again and your hand might be detected. The pen has an eraser on the end as well, which is a feature I like especially when taking notes because you can flip the pen over and erase your mistakes, it’s very convenient.

Tablet Features

There are plenty of multimedia buttons for watching DVDs, listening to music or viewing your photos. There is even an optional Webcam, which makes this tablet great for chatting with friends over the Web. It converts into tablet mode with ease and when in tablet mode the speakers are still accessible.

The tx2000 has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, so now you are getting the best of both worlds for a starting price of $1,299. You can take notes on the screen because it is no longer has a passive display. The pen has nice feedback and is easy to navigate with, but if you like using your finger then you can use it to navigate through windows as well.

The tx2000 in notebook mode, multimedia buttons on right side of screen. (view large image)

If you go into the Control Panel on the tablet to Tablet Properties you can calibrate the pen and touch capabilities. This is a nice feature because you can calibrate the pen’s tip and eraser to your liking either soft or firm. The same options are available for the touchscreen too. This way you get the response you prefer.

Heat and Noise

I didn’t notice any excessive heat from the tx2000, but when running benchmarks on the system it got warmer than normal and the fan was pumping out some very warm air from the back right vent. The keyboard area doesn’t get hot, but in tablet mode when you’re holding the underneath of the tx2000 you’ll feel that warmth, especially on the back right side where the vent is located.

The fan does get a bit loud when it kicks on during benchmarking, but besides that the tx2000 runs fairly quiet. When playing a DVD it is noticeable, but nothing that causes a distraction.

Ports

I don’t think you can ask for much more then what the tx2000 already offers. It isn’t the lightest tablet I have held, but it is the funnest. I wasn’t disappointed with the feature set and the entertainment features are an added bonus for this tablet.

Front view of the tx2000. (view large image)

Left side view of the ports, has 4-cell battery installed. (view large image)

Right side view of the ports, has 6-cell battery installed, notice the height. (view large image)

Back side view of the ports and extended battery. (view large image)

Underneath view of the tx2000. (view large image)

Battery

Battery life was good. I got around three to four hours with the 4-cell battery, which sticks out the back of the tablet a bit. The 6-cell actually raises the tablet’s height from 1.23″ to 1.52″, so that is something to think about. If you carry your tablet in slate mode the 4-cell battery might be more comfortable, but obviously the 6-cell is going to give you more life. I actually got around five hours of usage with the 6-cell. I don’t work in high performance mode very often, so the battery life might be less if you need this extra power.

Battery comparison, 6-cell on left and 4-cell on the right. (view large image)

Speakers

The tx2000 is fitted with Altec Lansing speakers, which produce good sound quality for listening to music or watching movies. That was HP’s focus; I mean the tx series are called entertainment notebooks. I am comparing these to the hardly noticeable speakers on the Asus R1F I use. If you compare the speakers to your standard notebook, they produce comparatively loud, clear sound, but they don’t compare to the higher-end multimedia notebooks equipped with subwoofers. Even in tablet mode you still get that loud clear sound from the speakers because they don’t get covered like on other tablet models, which is a definite bonus.

OS and Software

The review unit I had ran Windows Vista Home Premium. It didn’t come with much bloatware, but it does come with Norton, which you can uninstall with ease. It did come with a 60-day free trial of Microsoft Office 2007 though.

Wireless

Wireless options are endless from 802.11b/g WLAN to 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth and everything in between. At the office I had no problems connecting to the Internet, but at my house the tx2000 wouldn’t pick up a signal for anything. It was either hit or miss, but the Verizon coverage isn’t so great in my neighborhood. Anywhere else I am sure you would be fine and it works great on the road. The consumer level Infrared for controlling media functions via the included remote is a plus because you can watch movies while laying in bed on those raining days.

Conclusion

The tx2000 is going to be a hit with all the mainstream users. HP gave this model just what it needed. The active digitizer and touchscreen make this a true Tablet PC now, but it still maintains the entertainment notebook status unlike any other model on the market at this time. The mini remote and multimedia buttons are very convenient when editing photos or watching movies. If you want to do some work the pen is responsive and taking notes is great. Not only does Vista help with handwriting recognition, but so does the active digitizer and fact you can calibrate the pen. The tx2000 has that personal feel that you don’t find in many tablets especially with it’s sleek glossy appearance.

Pros

Active digitizer and touchscreen

Solid keyboard

Great entertainment features

Mini remote control (same as tx1000)

Reasonable price

Cons

A little on the heavy side

Screen can be extremely reflective in well lite areas

Pricing and Availability

The tx2000 is available now for ordering at hpshopping.com with prices starting at $1,299. If you want some hands-on time with the tablet you will have to wait until March when they hit retail stores.